Reversible latch



(ModeL) x A. A. DOVEY.

REVERSIBLE LATGH.

No. 477,929. Patented June 28, 1892.

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I I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. DOVEY, OF NEWVARK, NEWV JERSEY.

REVERSIBLE LATC-H.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,929, dated June 28, 1892.

Application filed March 26, 1891- Serial No. 386,444. (Modemv To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. DOVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in looking devices for doors, and isdesigned to provide a lock of thatclass known as nightlatches which is adapted to be secured in the manner of an ordinary night-latch, but which is provided with a removably-arranged slide-bolt, the nose portion of which can be adjusted before the lock is secured to the door, so that the same lock can be secured to either side of the door, as may be necessary.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a representation of a door-lock or night-latch to which myimprovements are directly applied, the same being viewed toward the inner face of the casing containing the mechanism, clearly illustrating the manner of connectingjthe slide-bolt to its operat- -ing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a similar view with theinner face or plate removed, the same be ingindicated in dotted outline, showing a pivoted lever which normally tends to hold the end of the slide-bolt in its holding connection with the bolt-operating mechanism and prevents the parts from being disconnected when the lock has been secured to a door rotated back on its pivotal point, whereby the slide-bolt can be disconnected and removed from the casing and can be reversed, so that the same look can be applied to the desired side of the door. Figs. 3 and dare side views of the lock, showing the slide-bolt projecting from the casing, which is represented in its two adjustable positions. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line so in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slide-bolt. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of apivoted holdinglever used in connection with the sliding bolt,

and Fig. 8 is a view of the under side of said holding-lever.

In the described figures similar referenceletters are employed to indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings,Ais the case, of any desir' able construction, containing any suitable bolt-operatin g mechanism B, two forms of construction being shown in the accompanying drawings',fwhich can be operated, as in a nightlatch, by means of a key, or in the ordinary door-locks by means of a door-knob and spindle and akey, and A" isthe inner face or back plate, which is secured to the case by means of a'screw a in the ordinary manner.

D is my detachable bolt, which is provided with a nose-piece d, straight on one side, as at d, and chamfered on the other side, as at 61 and which projects from one end of the casein the usual manner. Said nose-piece d is provided with a shank 01 having a hole or perforation cl in its end, which can be made to embrace a post or stud b, projecting up on which it can be arranged on the pivotal pina', and it is provided'with a shoulder c on its under side, (see Figs. 5, 7, and 8,) thereby providing the raised portion 0 of said lever, which in its normal and holding position projects over the perforated end of the shank d of the slide-bolt, and the chamfered edge 0 of said raised portion slides upon and causes the under side of the lever to engage with the end of the pin or post I) on the bolt-operating mechanism, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 5. The upper end of said holding-lever 0 may be provided with a post 0 which is connected by means of a spring 6 to a post b on the boltoperating mechanism. Said spring holds the holding-lever in its normal position, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) and also causes the return of the boltoperating mechanism and the slidebolt when they have been operated; but said spring need not necessarily be fastened to the holding-lever c, as will be evident. The upwardly-projecting end or raised portion 0 is provided with a stud or post 0, normally in the central axis of the post b on the operating mechanism B, which post or stud a projeots up into slot a in the inner face or back plate A, as will be seen from Fig. 1.

When it is desirable to secure the lock or latch on the side of the door, so that the latter will swingtoward the person in the direction of arrow y, the slide-bolt will be in that position indicated in Fig. '3; but when a door? 'is hungupon its hinges that it will swing away from a person in the direction of arrow y, as in Fig. 4, it will be necessary to reverse the nose of the slide-bolt and the latch-case can .be secured upon the proper side of the door.

In order to reverse the slide-bolt d before I attaching the lock, the .pin or post c is pushed back within the slot a in the back plate, thereby causing the holding-lever cto assume the position shown in Fig. 2, and the raised portion 0 of the lever having been removed from its holding engagement with the end of the post or stud b on the bolt-operating mechanism the shank of the bolt D can be raised and removed from its holding-post; taken from the case, and replaced in its reversed position upon its postorstud b, as will be clearly 1 understood. The holding-lever c is again rotated back in its former position and the locking device can be secured upon the door.

Of course it will be understood that the bolt-operating mechanism can be of any of the well-known constructions, the main features of the invention being the detachable and reversible bolt and the means for holding said bolt in its connected engagement with the bolt-operating mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is As an improved article of manufacture, a night-latch provided with a reversible bolt consisting, essentially, of a casing A, a boltoperating mechanism B, a back plate A, having a curved slot a a bolt D, projecting from said casing and having a shank with a perfo ration directly in front of said slot a removably attached to a pin or post on said bolt-operating mechanism 13, a lever 0, pro vided with a perforated post .for pivoting the same to a post a in the casing A, and said lever havin gan "upwardly-extendin g portion Ichamfered as at a and normallro'ectin 7 i 0 

